Welt seam presser foot



Aug. 13, 1940. LANG 2,211,333

WELT SEAM PRESSER FOOT Filed Aug. 3, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l JOHN LANGINVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

Aug. 13, 1940. LANG WELT SEAM PRESSER FOOT Filed Aug. 3, 1959 2Sheets-Sheet 2 JOHN LANG I NV EN TOR.

A TTORIVE Y.

Patented Aug. 13, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in presser feet for sewingmachines and more particularly to those which are used when sewing astrip of welting cord onto slip covers, cushions and articles ofupholstery to provide welt seams therein.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved mounting for aplurality of welt seam roller gauges, respectively positioned in thefront and rear of the needle.

Another object of this invention is to provide a presser foot havingwelt seam roller gauges adapted for operating on welt seams havingvarious sizes of circular cords therein.

Another object of this invention is to provide a presser foot having awelt gauge pivotally mounted thereon and having a spring fastened to thepresser foot and in engagement with an arcuate portion of the gauge topermit rocking motions of the gauge when passing over seams, while beingadapted to resiliently maintain the said gauge in forced contact withthe fabric being o erated on.

Another object of this invention is to provide a combined pivotal andresilient supporting means for a circular welt seam gauge whereby saidgauge is slightly movable vertically while resiliently downpressed whenpassing over seams and may also be pivotally raised a considerabledistance for operating on welt seams having cords of large diameter.

This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No.269,322, filed April 22, 1939.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention will behereinafter more particularly described, and the combination andarrangement of parts will be shown in the accompanying drawings andpointed out in the claims which form part of this specification.

Reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein like numerals ofreference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the welt seam presser foot.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the presser foot.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the presser foot removed from the presserfoot bar.

Figure 4 is a view of the presser foot in operation on a sewing machinecloth plate and showing how a welt seam having a cord therein is guidedby the gauge.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the presser-foot, facing the pivotalarm, the gau e mounting being in section and showing an elongatedvertically disposed guideway providing for slight up and down movements.

Figure 6 is a detailed view, partly in section, of mounting means forthe gauge. #5

Figure '7 is a front elevation of a modified welt seam presser footproviding horizontal adjustments of the gauge.

Figure 8 is a front elevation of an improved roller gauge welt seampresser foot.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of the presser foot shown in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a top plan view of the improved roller gauge presser foot,removed from the presser foot bar. 115

Figure 11 is a side elevation of the improved presser foot, facing thepivotal arm.

Figure 12 is a side elevation of a modified presser foot having anelongated vertically disposed guideway providing for slight up and downmovements of the rear roller.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the numeral l0 indicatesa presser foot having a shank H which is suitably adapted at its upperend to fit the lower end of a presser foot bar l2. The presser foot illmay be secured to the bar lfby a screw 13 threaded into the bar.

The presser foot shank H has a downwardly and forwardly extending arm M.The arm has a transverse aperture H5 at its free end. 3-0

A gauge [6 of circular form and having a centrally positioned transverseaperture I! has been rotatably mounted on a screw 18 in the aperture I5.The gauge l 6 has a centrally positioned boss I 9. The cross-section ofthe gauge at the boss l9 is arcuate.

The gauge Iii terminates ahead of the needle aperture 20 in the presserfoot. The gauge I 6 has an annular portion 2| centrally thereof on theside opposite the boss [9. '4T

A wire spring 22 has been secured to the arm M in permanent intimateunion such as by brazing. The spring 22 has a circular portion 23 at itsfree end in engagement with the annular portion 2! of the gauge, andserves to resiliently maintain the gauge in pressure contact with asewing machine cloth plate 24.

It is to be noted that suitable means may be provided for horizontaladjustment. of the gauge in relation to the presser foot, such as bymount- .ing a spacing washer on the screw I8.

The body of the screw IB is in engagement with, the side walls of theaperture I 5, which is directed in a generally vertical plane. Themounting of thegauge axisin the. elongated upright aperture l5 permitsslight upward and downward motions of the gauge when passing over seams.

As shown in Figure 5, the arm M has been pivotally mounted on a pin 25suitably secured in the shank l l. The arm M may be swung about the pin25 so as to raise the gauge [6 considerably and permit operation on weltseams having large diameter cords. In practice, the gauge is adapted foruse on welt seams on articles of upholstery wherein the diameter of thecord 28 may vary from one-eighth to one-quarter of an inch.

In making pivotal adjustments about the pin 25, the body of the screw l3passes through an arcuate slot 26 in the arm M. The head of the screw i3 is utilized to clamp the arm l4 against the shank H.

In operation the circular form of the gauge makes it possible to turnthe material worked upon at right-angles with ease, an operation whichcannot be done with non-circular gauge means.

As shown in Figure 6, the screw 18 has a nonthreaded portion 29 which isslightly wider than the thickness of. the arm i l, thus providing aslight clearance between the head of the screw and the arm, whichpermits the roller and the screw to move slightly up and down inrelation to the arm.

Figure '7 shows a modified presser foot 30 having a rectangular recess(not shown) in the shank I l and in which a slotted arm BI is slidablymounted horizontally and crosswise of the line of stitching. A screw 33in engagement with a slot 32 in the arm 3! provides means for adjustingthe position of the gauge 56 to and from the presser foot and theneedle. The arm 3i has an angular extension 34 carrying the pivot pin 25and a screw 35 for angular adjustment of the gauge carrying arm 36. Thescrew 35 is positioned in an arcuate slot (not shown) but similar to theslot 26. The horizontal adjustment of the gauge makes it possible tooperate on welt seams having various sizes of cords therein with asingle gauge and with precision.

As shown in Figures 8 to 12, I have provided an improved welt seampresser foot 46 having two roller gauge means, a roller ll which isplaced in front of the needle and a roller 42 placed at the rear of. theneedle. The presser foot it) has a shank 53 secured to the presser-barl2 by a screw l3.

The presser foot 45) has a downwardly and forwardly extending arm M. Theroller 4! has been rotatably mounted on a screw 45 in the arm 44. Theroller H has a centrally positioned boss 46. The roller l is positionedahead of the needle aperture 4'5 in the presser foot.

As shown in Figure 11, the arm 44 has been pivotally mounted on a screw48 suitably secured in the shank 413. The arm 44 may be swung about thescrew :8 so as to raise the roller considerably and permit operation onwelt seams having large diameter cords. It is to be noted that theforward roller gauge is raised slightly higher than the rear rollergauge, as this difference in height facilitates the folding of thematerial around the cord at the front roller gauge when making welts,while the rear roller gauge holds the welting in tight engagement.

In making pivotal adjustments about the screw &3, the body of a lowerscrew 49 passes through an arcuate slot 59 in the arm i l. The head ofthe screw 69 is utilized to clamp the arm 44 against the shank 33.

The presser foot 40 has a rectangular recess (not shown) in the shank 43and in which a slotted arm 5! is slidably mounted horizontally andcrosswise of the line of stitching. A screw 52 in engagement with a slot53 in the arm 5| provides means for adjusting the position of the roller4! to and from the presser foot and the needle. The arm 51 has anangular extension 54 carrying the pivot 48. The screw 49 serves forangular adjustment of the roller carrying arm. The screw 39 ispositioned in the arcuate slot 50. The horizontal adjustment of theroller gauge makes it possible to operate on welt seams having varioussizes of cords therein.

The roller gauge 42 is mounted on a screw 50 in the arm 44 and ispositioned rearwards of the needle aperture 47.

In operation, a strip of stitched preformed welt cord is stitched to asheet of fabric. The back roller 42 serves to keep the welt cord in suchrelation with the needle that the stitching will be in directsuperposition over the welt cord stitching. I have found in practicethat with the use of only the front roller 4| that the welt cord movesaway from the needle, resulting in uneven stitching which does not makea symmetrical appearing junction. As shown in Figure 10, the back rollergauge is narrower than the front roller gauge so as to provide room forthe needlecarrying-bar (not shown) from striking the back roller gauge.

Figure 12 shows a modified presser foot 55 having an elongatedvertically disposed aperture or guideway 56 in the arm 51. The body ofthe screw 53 functions as an axis on which the rear roller 58 isrotatably mounted. The body of the screw 58 is in engagement with theside walls of the aperture 56 so as to permit slight upward and downwardmotions of the roller 59 when passing over seams.

A wire spring 69 has been secured to the arm 57 with its free endresting on the body of the screw 58 and serves to resiliently hold theroller gauge 59 in pressure contact with the work. The screw 6! permitsvertical adjustments of the arm 51.

It is to be noted that instead of mounting my welt seam roller gaugeattachment on the left side of the shank, that I may mount it on theright side of the shank. It is also to be noted that all the rollers arefreely rotatably mounted on their respective axes.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described and illustrateda number of embodiments of my invention, but it will be understood thatvarious changes and modifications can be made therein without departingfrom the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a welt seam presser foot for sewing machines having a needle,comprising a shank having a downwardly and forwardly extending armmounted thereon, a welt seam roller gauge rotatably mounted at the freeend of said arm, the portion of said roller gauge in transverse contactwith the material worked upon having an arcuate contour, an auxiliaryroller gauge rotatably mounted on said arm rearwards of said needle, theportion of said auxiliary roller in transverse contact with the materialworked upon having an arcuate contour and being narrower than said firstmentioned roller, said auxiliary roller being designed to hold thestitching of a finished welt seam in alignment with said needle, andmeans for manually raising and lowering said arm to permit said gauge tooperate on welt seams having various sized cords therein.

2. In a welt seam presser foot for sewing machines having a needle,comprising a shank having a rectangular recess, a slotted arm slidablymounted in said recess, said arm being positioned horizontally andcrosswise of the line of stitching, said arm having a right-angularrearward extension, a downwardly and forwardly extending arm mounted onsaid extension, a welt seam roller gauge rotatably mounted at the freeend of said arm, the portion of said roller gauge in transverse contactwith the material worked upon having an arcuate contour, an auxiliaryroller gauge rotatably mounted on said arm rearwards of said needle, theportion of said auxiliary roller in transverse contact with the materialworked upon having an arcuate contour and being narrower than said firstmentioned roller, said auxiliary roller being designed to hold thestitching of a finished welt seam in alinement with said needle, andmeans for manually raising and lowering said arm to permit said gauge tooperate on welt seams having various sized cords therein.

3. In a welt seam presser foot for sewing machines having a needle,comprising a shank having a downwardly and forwardly extending arm, saidarm having an elongated upright aperture, welt seam roller gauge meansguided for vertical movement by said aperture, the portion of saidroller gauge means in transverse contact with the work having an arcuatecontour, a spring secured to said arm, said spring having a portion atits free end designed to resiliently contact said roller gauge means topermit slight vertical motions of said gauge means, said spring beingadapted to resiliently maintain said roller gauge means in pressurecontact with the material being welt seamed, and means for manuallyraising and lowering said arm to permit said roller gauge means tooperate on welt seams having various sized cords therein, said presserfoot having an elongated flat bottom surface permanently in contact withthe work.

JOHN LANG.

